


Ignite

by makoredeyes



Series: Turning of Hearts [3]
Category: Titanfall
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 05:16:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14909058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makoredeyes/pseuds/makoredeyes
Summary: At first BT could do nothing but support Jack as his Pilot worked through the gauntlet of fear, infatuation and denial of coming to terms with just who he had become smitten with, but as time progressed, and the pining turned into heartbreak, the Titan decided to take action, and do something crazy.





	Ignite

**Author's Note:**

> 1) I should probably list Kieran as a co-author to this one since he was TONS of help brainstorming and, of course, proof-reading (I used the wrong word twice! D8 ).  
> 2) Ya'll see the rating on this one, that's all the warning you're getting. Enjoy. =3

BT listened dutifully as Jack finally confessed to him what he’d been able to see for literally years.

A bond well beyond friendship was forming between his Pilot and the most unlikely of suitors imaginable.  He wondered more than ever, as Jack described the feelings of joy and safety he’d experienced in Kuben Blisk’s company, what the future held for Jack...as well as himself, but he did not begrudge his Pilot one bit.

The human heart, he knew, was a wild and inexplicable thing, and there was no taming it, and no changing it by force.  He wished Jack nothing but happiness, and if this was where he found it, so be it.

“I don’t know what to do, BT…”

But first, there would be heartache.  

BT could do nothing but support Jack as his Pilot worked through the gauntlet of fear, infatuation and denial of coming to terms with just who he had become smitten with.  He sensed that Jack would prefer BT deny him, that he demand he smother his feelings and move on, but BT would do no such thing. Jack would have to decide for himself what was worth keeping, and what he would be willing to sacrifice to do so.  

It would hurt, but he would be there for him.

For now, Jack was still in a sort of emotional shock as he sorted out his feelings and so BT simply waited out the storm.  The future would unfold in its due course.

 

Time passed.  BT and Jack returned to duty, the Pilot gladly telling his peers about Perlas while carefully exempting any mention of where he’d stayed, or that he’d had a companion at all.  His little vacation became a thing of the past, people moved on and the questioning stopped.

 

BT could see the secret burned in Jack. He wanted to talk about, express his infatuation but didn’t dare, lest the wrong detail escape and expose him. He began to shrink away from his friends, shy in the certainty of their judgement. BT started collecting news clips and declassified intel on the Apex Predators for Jack. It helped a little.

Nearly every day, Jack talked himself out of asking BT to contact Red. Instead, he spent more time than ever with BT, often spending entire nights curled in the cockpit, not sleeping, but instead talking to BT. Sometimes he made sense, sometimes it was just the retelling of the same stories, but when it came to one-on-one time with his sole confidant, there was only one topic of discussion with Jack.

“I’ve never felt like that when someone touched me before, BT,” Jack would say, rubbing his wrist as he re-lived that single, electrifying touch.  “I thought I’d been shocked…” Invariably, his breathing would stutter and his pulse would quicken. He had it bad.

 

Jack’s introvertedness was getting worse.  Though he’d never been in any sort of committed relationship in the time BT had known him, intimate recreating with his cohorts was at an all time low.  In fact, Jack had only twice taken partners in the last half year. He barely even spoke to anyone socially anymore, terrified his secret would slip. BT was somewhat amused to learn of the rumor that Jack was, in fact, pining over BT himself.  This was, of course, completely wrong but he did nothing to refute or correct the assumptions. It was far safer for Jack than if the truth got out. And so, Jack’s shoulders drooped, and his heart was heavy. He became alone and isolated. He missed Blisk terribly.  It was concerning.

 

Six months of missions came and went, without a single sighting of Blisk and his men reported from...anywhere. BT was starting to worry the mercenary had finally met the violent end so many had promised him.  Jack feared this as well, though he never said it directly.

“It’s been quiet… I hope he’s okay…”

For Jack’s sake, BT hoped so as well.

 

“BT, what if…” Jack trailed off.  It was late. Very late. Or early. Two AM was one of those questionable hours in the middle of temporal no man’s land that was both and neither at the same time, and had proven time and again to be a very bad time of day to attempt any sort of rational thought or decision making.  “I’m starting to think I want out…”

BT was forced to promise his Pilot he would forgive him if he left, but even as he did so, his processor kicked into overdrive.

There had to be a better solution.

 

Eight months had passed from Jack’s stay on Perlas when the Vanguard decided Jack’s painful pining had gone on too long.  

Hoping above all hopes that Blisk and his titan were still of this world, BT reached out to Red for the first time in nearly a year.

 _The current arrangement is becoming increasingly detrimental._ BT was clever enough to know he had to keep his messages to Red cryptic lest they be intercepted by the wrong people -which was anyone at all- but the Legion was smart, and at least as concerned about his Pilot as BT was.  His reply had been almost immediate.

_Tell me about it!_

So Blisk was aching also.  This was good news. A plan was formulating.

_Rectification pending. Commitment verification required._

 

There had been a uniquely long pause as Red considered BT’s words.

 _… Minimum 110%_  BT could have laughed at the exaggeration, but he understood Red’s somewhat tongue-in-cheek reply nonetheless. _State your intentions._

It was BT’s turn to hesitate.

_Something crazy.  Maybe._

 

_Understood. I’ll await your word._

 

The great thing about MRVNs is they mind their own business.  The humans often played the bots off as dumb, but BT knew them to be loyal, considerate, and yes, often obedient to a fault. But not dumb, so when he requested the unit assigned to him to go and run some errands for him, stipulating also that its mission was to be kept confidential, BT had no doubt that the smiling little robot would, indeed, do exactly as he asked.

 

It was amazing the things these guys could get away with in plain sight. Twenty minutes before a drop, one of the sunshine yellow bots walked right by Jack with a bulging knapsack, and tossed it up into BT’s open cockpit with a friendly screech of binary.  BT rumbled back his gratitude, and his Pilot never once looked up from where he was reading the mission briefing. BT closed back up without comment and settled down on his struts to think.

 

Jack was a mess.  There had been a number of recent late-night breakdowns, the frequency of which were beginning to increase at an alarming pace. His Pilot was overcome with desperation and uncertainty as his heart continued to pull him in a direction he was certain he couldn’t follow.  If this mission weren’t so critical, the Titan would have insisted on grounding him, the young man having suffered to many rough nights in a row to be in any shape to fight.

Still, if things went the way BT planned them to, Jack would be fine.  Just a little longer…

“BT, it’s happening again,” Jack whispered in his cryptic way of telling BT he was doubting his loyalty to the Militia.

“Easy, Jack,” BT replied, edging in close enough to gently wrap his hand around the man’s torso in his equivalent of a hug.  “We’ll be alright.”

He’d admitted again recently that he wanted out. That he was done fighting but that he endured because he didn’t want to be separated from BT, and the Titan experienced his first taste of what heartbreak must feel like. “Trust me.”

A five-minute warning sounded, and he let Jack gather up his helmet and sidearm before lifting him up into the cockpit.  If the Pilot noticed the unexpected luggage, he didn’t mention it. In his current condition, it was more likely he hadn’t.  BT sent out a heavily encoded databust, possibly the last of several a day he’d been sending and receiving for weeks.

 

_Be ready._

 

For a time, BT let Jack maintain control, but the moment he received the signal he’d been waiting for, he took over without warning, veering sharply away from the heart of battle at a run.  

“BT? What are you doing?!” Jack shouted.  He sounded far more rattled than he ought to have been.

“Protocol Three,” BT said shortly.  “Please trust me, Jack.”  
“What are you doing??” He repeated, and, because he knew, ultimately, that Jack would be more cooperative if he was in on the plan, confessed, “getting you out.” They ducked into a shallow ravine, rounded a corner, and broke out into a deep canyon.  There stood a single-titan carrier, parked in the deep blue shadows, and beside it, a red and black Legion.

“Red!”  Jack’s startled yelp was a mix of concern and joy, but then BT’s words caught up with him.  “Wait, BT! What do you mean?” BT skidded to a stop just shy of the larger Titan, and, without preamble, threw open his cockpit doors.

“We need to act quickly, Jack. Your belongings are behind the seat,” BT commanded.  When Jack hesitated, he added sternly, “Hurry!” Jack found his bag, but hesitated on the step.  BT grumbled softly and reached in and snatched him out himself, setting Jack down at his feet and crouching low to look him in the eyes.  “Jack, this is your chance. If you want to leave, you need to go now..” Jack’s jaw dropped, and his eyes began to well up.

“Get out of your armor and toss everything in the cockpit,” Red added.  

Jack’s jaw worked in silent protest as his morals and his heart did battle.  He had a hand on BT’s knee, unwilling to physically separate from his Titan. BT gave him a sedate blink, his optic dimming slightly.

“It’s okay, Jack.  I’m coming with you,” BT assured softly.

Red’s canopy suddenly popped open, and the Legion appeared in his Stalker Chassis.  Despite not having a face, he somehow looked stressed.

“Guys we gotta move before they notice us down here,” he informed them.  At this, Jack shook himself out of his petrified state, tossing his helmet up into BT’s cockpit and quickly stripping out of his armor.

“Y-yeah. Okay,” He said at last, breathless as he began hucking bits of equipment up into the cockpit.  

“Jumpkit too,” BT reminded.  When Jack was down to just his standard uniform once more, BT closed up and promised, “You are in good hands. We’ll talk again soon,” before ejecting his Datacore.  

Jack pulled the glowing core from its socket with shaking hands, and stepped away just as Red bounded out of his titan chassis to stand beside him.

“C’mon Kid, let’s back up.”  He pulled Jack back gently by the elbow until they were safely inside the carrier.  “This might look a bit freaky,” he warned. The Legion chassis moved, Red controlling it remotely, lurching forward to grab the empty Vanguard’s weapon and plow it into its own torso.  

The roar from BT’s chaingun was deafening, and as the smoke began to rise from Red’s old body, he had it return fire.  The lighter Vanguard chassis was torn to pieces in moments and it collapsed forward onto the Legion. As the dust and the smoke began to settle Red said, “Okay, let’s close up.”

Jack had been watching numbly in horror, and jumped as the loading bay door was shut in his face and he was summarily dragged into the cockpit by the bot.  “We need to clear out before they blow,” Red clarified. He was already slapping at the console with one hand and hauling back on the control stick with the other, hurriedly pulling the little ship up and away from the seemingly embattled titans below.  He circled around as he climbed out of the canyon, and Jack looked out the side window as they rose just in time to see a massive explosion detonate between the two bodies below them. Beside him, Red made a sound like an impressed whistle. “Whoo...glad we got clear of that!”

 

Jack was in shock.  

They’d flown low and fast, speeding well away from the battle before carefully slipping through the blind spot between the orbiting IMC and Militia fleets, and making the jump into deep space.  Down below….behind them, BT-7274 and the Hero of Harmony were...no more.

Jack clutched at the datacore in his hands and very carefully battled down the looming panic attack as it dawned on him what exactly the two titans had orchestrated, and what their actions meant for him.

“I have a spare Spectre frame that I can fix up for BT,” Red was saying, talking nonstop into the void of sound hanging over Jack, noticing his shaken state and doing his best to distract him.  “I would have rather had it ready for you, but didn’t want to count my eggs before they were chickens,” He paused. “Wait… That’s not how that goes...”

Despite himself, Jack chuckled, the sound wet and feeble, but a laugh was a laugh, and Red flickered at him happily.  “That’s better!” He cheered. “Look, if you want to go back, it’s not too late. We can write the whole thing off as a hostage situation, you know.  BT seemed pretty convinced you wanted out, though.”

Jack nodded.

“Y-yeah.  I… things changed,” Jack croaked.

“I know what you mean,” Red said tiredly, then seemed to cheer up again. “Well, hey, congratulations, you’re off the hook!  I’m going to take us back to Perlas first, of course-” Red went on, and Jack’s heart did a little summersault between his ribs.  “-we can get you all set up with a new identity that way and then… you can do whatever you want.”

Jack’s head began to swim as the possibilities overwhelmed him, but through the faint ringing of his own ears, he heard himself blurt, “Is Kuben there?”

Red laughed, deep and rich and genuinely delighted.

“Yep.  Boy, will he be surprised!  Fair warning, though, he doesn’t keep the penthouse quite as tidy when he’s not expecting guests!”  Red flickered half of his biolights at Jack in a goofy facsimile of a wink, and Jack’s eyes went wide.

“H-he doesn’t know?”

Red’s reply practically dripped with smugness.

“Nope.”

 

They landed in darkness, the Capitol well into its evening as Red bypassed the starport, and the city central, and instead made his approach in from over the water.  It was late into summer, and when they stepped out of the little carrier, the nighttime air was warm and heavy with moisture and the scent of salt and night-blooming flowers.  The rippling ocean far below sparkled enticingly with bioluminescence and the reflections of the planet’s pale and glittering rings, and if it weren't for the siren call of Blisk’s presence, Jack might have wanted to stay out on that rooftop all night. 

 

Red led him across the landing pad, and made a point of letting Jack take note of the access code to the door leading inside, and then continued down to the first landing.  Here he nudged Jack until he startled a little in realization, and laid his palm over the scanner at the door. The door opened and Red slipped past Jack, leading the way in to the dimly lit entryway.

 

“Where. Th’ _actual fuck_ have  ya been?!”  Blisk’s voice boomed out from the other end of the room, his accent thick with his ire as he stormed their way.  He’d clearly not seen Jack, now holding back just outside the threshold in alarm, as he continued to berate Red. “Not a single fuckin’ word?! No goddamn _note._ An’ then yer transponder goes silent!  What th’ fuck have ya been doin’?! Ah’ve been losin mah gawddamn mind with worry ya rusted out chunk a-” He cut short suddenly as, just as he reached the Legion, Red stepped to the side to reveal Jack standing behind him. Their eyes met, and his jaw hinged open as he took in the younger man standing in his doorway.

Even in the low light, Jack looked puffy eyed and in shock as he clutched a bag in one hand and a dimly glowing datacore in his other. His lower lip began to tremble faintly as he stared back at Blisk, and the mercenary’s demeanor rolled out of anger right into deep concern.

“Jack? What happened?” He looked at Red accusingly and repeated, “What has happened?”

“ _Kuben_!” Jack barely breathed the name, dumping his knapsack just inside the doorway and darting past Red to throw himself into Blisk.  He ducked his head down, crushing his face against the taller man’s chest, and clung to him. Blisk reflexively threw his arms around Jack’s shoulders, cradling him with no small amount of alarm.

“What…?” He reached between them, delicately pulling BT’s Datacore out of Jack’s hand, shocked to discover Jack let him have it without resistance, and carefully handed it over to Red.  “Talk ta me…”

“S-sorry,” Jack murmured, taking advantage of having both hands free to wind his arms around Blisk’s middle, hugging him tight. “I’m okay just… just a little freaked out right now.”

“I’m sure you’ll hear all about it in the morning news,” Red drawled.  “Militia hero Jack Cooper perishes in an explosive battle against an unmarked mercenary.” He paused, then added regretfully, “Uhh...sorry but I’m gonna need a new chassis.  I’d like to think it’s worth it, though!”

Blisk swore then pulled away enough to look down in wide-eyed shock at Jack.

“Ya faked yer death?!”

“BT and I did.  He was the last to know about it,” Red chuckled, and Jack nodded, giving Blisk a scared, crooked little smile.  

“D-don’t suppose that job offer still stands?” He joked feebly, then laughed soggily and covered his face. “I’m sorry,” he wheezed.  “I can’t believe what we just did…”

Blisk blew out a hard breath and, without warning, bent and hoisted Jack fully off his feet and into his arms, marching back into the darkness and planting himself on the couch with Jack cradled in his lap. Jack gasped and clung to his shoulders, his face tucked against his neck.  

“Why’d ya go an’ do that…” Blisk breathed, hugging Jack hard.

“I didn’t...I couldn’t stand it any longer. I wanted out. I wanted...want…” He coughed a little and wiggled into a more upright position to look Blisk in the eye.

“Tell me,” Blisk whispered and, in a less serious situation, he would have taken immense delight in the obvious blush that ignited across Jack’s cheeks.

“This,” Jack replied. His voice shook, and his hands trembled as he bought them up to brush his fingertips across Blisk’s face, his hands growing warm and beginning to tingle with that same electric energy as before.  Blisk sucked in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, leaning into the gentle touches. Red slipped away quietly without either man noticing his departure.

Jack’s heart thumped up in his throat as he traced his fingertips over Blisk’s forehead, temples, down along his jaw and feather-soft over his lips and then, shy and cautious, leaned in to replace them with his lips, kissing the other man.  

Blisk’s response was just as electrifying as his skin, the merc shuddering and letting out a high, longing whine from the back of his throat as he pressed back up against Jack as he clutched at him with both hands, squeezing hard. Jack held the kiss as he massaged his lips against Blisk’s, slow and easy, letting it linger.  As they pulled apart, Jack’s lips felt like they were buzzing. He smiled softly as Blisk stared up at him in awe.

“Ah don’t have a job fer ya anymore,” Blisk whispered. “But you kin stay anyway...if you want.”   He kept his hands on Jack’s shoulders and upper arms, not letting them wander, but he was kneading at Jack lightly, deliberately squeezing and pulling gently and generally enjoying the feel of even that chaste touch, his hands burning hot, tingling points of energy that soaked into Jack’s body.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that,” Jack whispered back.

Blisk nodded, the gesture firm and determined as if he were shaking on a deal, and suddenly he stood, Jack still bundled against his chest.  He made a quick march through the living room, heading for his bedroom.

Halfway there, Jack caught on to his destination and let out a worried little sound from the back of his throat.

“Kuben, wait, I’m not ready to…” He didn’t fight him, instead tightening his arms around Blisk’s shoulders, but there was worry in his voice.

“Naw, Ah know…” Blisk sighed, nuzzling Jack. “Ah won’t push ya.” He set Jack back on his feet just shy of the door, pulling his hands away pointedly.  “But...stay with me? Jus’ that.” He actually fidgeted a little, bashful. Jack smiled sweetly, nodding.

“I’d love that.”

Twenty minutes later found Jack spooned up to the mercenary, his back pressed against Blisk’s chest and their legs tangled together snugly.  Blisk had both arms around Jack, even though Jack was certain he was doomed to lose circulation in the arm pinned under him, and cradled him like the universe’s most precious riches.  

For a long time, neither of them could quite submit to sleep at first, both savoring the intimacy as long as possible.  Blisk kept impulsively laying tiny kisses along Jack’s jaw, cheek and temple, the sweet gestures of affection making Jack smile and shiver. It was late into the night when Jack finally began to drift off, and he wasn’t sure if he dreamt Blisk’s heartfelt, “Thank you, Jack.”

 

Jack jerked awake, momentary confusion washing over him as he fumbled with where he was, and why he couldn't move.  The details gradually filtered in, backwards, as his brain woke up along with the rest of him. The warm weight pressed against his back was Kuben, arms wound tight around Jack's chest with both of his hands curled into the fabric of Jack's shirt over his heart and his face nestled into his hair and neck.  Despite his startle, the older man had remained asleep, his breathing deep and even in Jack's ear. Jack's heart kicked back into the racing gallop it'd been in more often than not recently as he realized next that he was in Kuben's room, in his bed.  
No, that part was actually alright, Jack decided, relaxing back down just a little.  He tried to hold on to the moment: the feel of the body pressed against his, the sound of steady breathing and the gentle glow of a summer dawn through the windows, but fight as he might, reality followed awareness.  
He'd really gone and done it.  Jack Cooper the Militia Pilot was no more. That man had died the previous morning.  He wondered if anyone mourned his death. He shook a little. That was a strange thought.  
BT had orchestrated the perfect escape: freedom without fault.  No one would call him a deserter, or hold him in contempt. The relief spread over him like cool water, but beneath the surface, the guilt was as strong as ever.  
What had he done?  Nobody was the wiser, but he'd just selfishly, shamefully abandoned his people.  For what? Romance? Love?  
Or was he just sick in the head?

He was. He really was.  
Who in their right mind falls for a monster?  Blisk murdered Captain Lastimosa. He nearly got BT. How many of Jack's brothers and sisters’ blood coated the hands curled around his chest? The image of this same man leveling a gun between his eyes and merrily threatening to murder him was forever burned into Jack's mind, and it should have mattered, should have made a difference but somehow...it didn't.

His stomach rolled, queasy and fluttering with nerves and excitement, but mostly, more guilt. What did BT think? It was easy to assume acceptance when the Titan had actively facilitated the very caper that had brought him to this moment, but time and again his most trusted and loyal friend had proven to be willing to put Jack's needs and concerns well over his own. What if he secretly considered Jack a traitor?    

How did a person built to support a specific cause, who had little to no experience or understanding, as far as Jack could tell, of matters of the heart, possibly understand what motivated Jack, let alone forgive him?  
Where _was_ BT? He'd been so preoccupied after their arrival that he had no concept of what had happened to his friend once Blisk had taken his Datacore out of Jack's hand...  
That was the final straw, the final doubt.  How could he be so negligent of his one true friend who, acting in his best interest, had just given up everything for him?!  
Jack gasped for air, his shoulders shaking, swallowing hard and struggling to stay still and silent lest he wake the sleeping man cuddled against him, as panic rapidly overcame him at last. All he could think was that he’d been blinded by selfishness and he hated it.  
"Shh... it'll be alright," Blisk whispered, startling Jack. He'd been certain the other man was still asleep.  A loud sob escaped him, and he curled up around the hands on his chest, pulling away and into a ball as the landslide of emotion broke free. Blisk pulled his hands away, carefully not restraining Jack, but he did place one hand on the nape of his neck, fingers petting the skin and hair there lightly in soothing little circles and strokes.  "You're okay," Blisk went on, murmuring in low, warm tones that seemed to vibrate from his chest into Jack's. It appeared that he not only understood Jack's breakdown, but perhaps even anticipated it. "It'll be okay, Ah promise." Jack wondered distantly whether anyone else had ever seen the merc’s affectionate, caring side like this. He calmed quickly this way, soothed by the merc's sweetly rumbling tones and gentle touches, and after a few minutes, sniffling hard, he rolled over to face him, tucking his face in against Blisk's shoulder. He let out a long, shuddering breath as he was pulled in close, and Blisk cradled his head and kissed the top of it with a sigh.  
"If..." Blisk began slowly, clearly hesitant but dragging the words out anyway.  "If ya need ta go back... if ya think you've made th' wrong choice... we can make it happen.  Ah don't mind playin' th' bad guy one last time, for you, yeah? An' Ah don't mean jus' today. If tomorrow, or th' next...or ten years from now, ya need ta go back, we'll put ya back jus' how we found ya, alright?" Despite his words, he gathered Jack up a little closer, holding him tight as if he didn't want to let go.  "Ah know who Ah am, what Ah've done, and you've got a whole lot ta lose, if you stay. Ah won’t hold your honor against ya."

Jack listened, holding his breath and fighting down more tears, his hands curled around Blisk’s, squeezing tight.  At the end, he shook his head. Aside from BT, when was the last time someone had so readily accepted him for himself, or the decisions he made, right, or wrong.

“N-no. I’m staying,” he sighed, leaning into Blisk a little more. Blisk let out a shaky little sigh of relief, and Jack could feel him smiling against his skin as he kissed his forehead.

 

It was a weird morning.  They had emerged from the bedroom not long after, Jack feeling more steadfast in his decision, and Blisk looking like he’d been handed the keys to heaven.  Red, and BT now as well, waited for them, the pair having gotten BT into a Spectre frame overnight, which the Titan was apparently delighted with.

Happiness was speckled with moments of uncertainty, and a sense of detachment from reality that Jack found uncomfortable. The worst came when they four sat together and watched the breaking news, overladen with images of Jack’s face and the burnt wreckage of Red and BT’s chassis. For some, this was a time for celebration, others, one of great mourning and Jack listened to the accounts of both sides without really absorbing any of it, his mind too glazed to hold on to the uncanny experience of hearing about your supposed death third-hand.

“I guess I’ll get used to it.”  He’d said this more than once, trying to reassure himself.  He supposed he really would, eventually.

They stayed in, together talking Jack through the shocks and the worries.  Blisk cooked. Jack cleaned up and the mundane task of washing dishes was, to his immense relief, what finally slanted his mindset back toward something closer to normalcy. Red taught BT to play cards for the hell of it. BT was getting the hang of his new frame, rapidly developing new ways to express himself through body language and the use of his biolights, and by midday was nearly as animated as Red. Despite the anxieties and the doubts, there was a hush of peace over the newly formed family. Jack’s feelings of guilt and dismay at his actions fizzled into the background, and the awareness of the opportunity to reinvent himself became prevalent.

Blisk, meanwhile, had been hoping to take Jack out somewhere nice, but after seeing the poor man’s face on every news channel in the Frontier, he thought better of it. For now.

“Once all this settles down, Ah’m gonna treat ya to a night out,” he promised instead, treasuring the bright, delighted smile he got for the promise. He craved those sweet little smiles of Jack’s, and was coming to the happy conclusion he’d do anything for more of them.  Lucky for him, Jack made it easy.

  


“Let’s go down to th’ beach,” Blisk had said, hours later and shortly after dark had fallen.  Jack had been poised at the wide bank of windows, staring out at the glowing ripples in the water below in awe, but turned another excited grin on him at his words.  Blisk’s heart sang. Yes. _Yes._ More of that.

 

The night air was warm, not quite humid, and calm. The sweet scent of flowers was powerful, but pleasant, and the water burbled and laped sedately at the shore.  Perlas was moonless, so the sea was placid and the night sky was dark and clear, merging into the black waters to swallow the horizon, invisible except for where the broad, shining rings overhead vanished into blackness. Starlight mingled with the pearl-white glow from above and reflected on the water, but ripples of glowing electric blue light interrupted the mirror effect as the bioluminescent organisms stirred and shifted with the subtle movement of the water. Here and there, a fish would break the surface causing bright flashes in the water. Blisk and Jack sat together, shoulder to shoulder, in comfortable silence on the shore as Jack took it in. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Jack whispered, loathe to break the hush of the night. “I can’t believe how beautiful it is.”

“You’ll get all summer ta enjoy it,” Blisk rumbled, his tones equally subdued. “But let’s do ya one bett’a.” He stood slowly, reluctantly pulling away from Jack, and offered his hand down to help him up.  “Let’s go fer a swim.” He stepped back and pulled away his shirt, shoes and pants until he was down to his shorts, tossing everything aside onto the blanket they’d been seated on, and couldn’t resist a smile of endearment as Jack hurried excitedly to follow suit.

He led Jack by the hand to the water line, reveling in the tingles that happened every time they touched at all, and took his first step into the water.  

The surface all around him ignited in blue light, and he looked back in time to catch Jack’s reaction by the glow as the other Pilot breathed, “Oh wow,” in awe.  Blisk stepped in ankle deep and turned, watching as Jack stepped in cautiously. “Oh!” Jack repeated, breathless, and Blisk couldn’t resist a chuckle.

“C’mon, deeper…” He teased, walking them out to waist deep.  The water was warm enough it was little more than a comfortable cool pressure against their skin, and, stealing a quick kiss to Jack’s cheek, the mercenary didn’t hesitate to duck under completely.  

The water lit up like fireworks all around him, the surface a brilliant glow and bits sinking under and swirling like nebulas around Blisk, who was now glowing and easily visible under the surface thanks to the quantity of luminescence that clung to his body. He swam a dozen feet away and surfaced, grinning as he saw Jack’s eyes widen.

“Oh wow!” He cried again.  “You’re… you’re completely coated…!” Jack lifted his own arms out of the water, turning them over as he examined the blue glow coating his own skin.

“Yeah, it sticks!” Blisk laughed.  “Go on, it won’t hurt ya.”

Jack didn’t need further encouragement, and with the first unrestrained laugh Blisk had heard out of him, he dove in.  

It was Blisk’s turn to watch in awe as the ethereal glowing shape of Jack’s figure coasted under the surface, the younger man proving to be as strong of a swimmer as he was.  He surfaced right at Blisk’s side in a dramatic spray, and slid up his body to smooch him on the chin before diving back under and paddling away. Blisk briefly thought he might faint form the sear of Jack’s bare chest pressed against his, but then the moment had passed and he let out a breathless little chuckle, turning where he stood in chest-deep water to enjoy the show as Jack continued to paddle and splash in the sparkling water.

Eventually they grew tired enough that the pair trudged back out to shore, but Jack especially couldn’t quite pull away completely, and they ended up seated just at the water line, blue ripples lapping at their ankles as they drip dried into the sand.  

They were both still glowing vibrantly and Blisk laughed as Jack began trying to scrub some of the glow off.

“Don’t bother, it ain’t gonna wash off,” he chuckled.  “It’ll all die and fall away by morning without a mess, dun worry.”  Jack let his hands drop with a bemused little laugh.

“Thanks for the warning,” he drawled, and all at once Blisk just couldn’t keep his hands to himself any longer.  He reached out and hauled Jack back into his lap and treated him to a long, sensuous kiss.

To his delight, Jack immediately melted against him, turning in and straddling his thighs for a better fit of their bodies as he happily fed on Blisk’s mouth.  Every gentle rub of their lips, the points where their bodies and hands touched, tingled and twitched and in minutes, both men were gasping into each other, overwhelmed by the intoxicating chemistry between them. Blisk more than happily let Jack slowly push him back into the sand and sprawl over him, but when their hips started to grind together, he let out a little groan and planted his hands firmly on Jack, stopping him.

“I want you,” Jack blurted, almost petulantly and Blisk let out a heated chuckle.  

“Feelin’s mutual. Let’s get back inside.”

 

He led Jack by the hand all the way back up the beach, into the foyer, and all the way up the lift back to his level.  His grip was gentle, giving Jack all the freedom to pull away if he wanted to, but they stayed joined this way all the way back.

When they stepped back through the doorway,  Red and BT were both seated together on the couch, conversing in low tones of binary.  Red looked back first, his optic brightening at the sight of the two men, half-wet, nearly naked and glowing. He stood quickly.

“Let’s go down to my workshop and check on that thing,” he said around a chuckle.

“Sure.”  BT didn’t hesitate to rise, giving both men a fond flicker as they passed on their way out.

 

Blisk stood to the side, still hand-in-hand with Jack, and watched the two Titans let themselves out.

“Cheeky little shit,” he muttered affectionately.  

“This happen often?” Jack asked, his tone gently teasing.  Blisk huffed at Red through the door one more time for good measure and then gently tugged Jack along the rest of the way to the bedroom.

“Not exactly,” Blisk said. “Not...not like this.” He turned as they arrived at the bed, finally disentangling his hand from Jack’s to cradle his face in both hands.  “But...yeah. Tried pretty hard ta fill th’ void for a while.” He dipped his head to kiss Jack’s forehead lovingly. “Didn’t work. Jus’ managed ta run off a bunch a th’ few folks that’d been willin’ ta put up with me instead.” He sat on the edge of the bed, carefully putting the memories of those little hurts out of his mind, and Jack stepped between his open knees, pressing in for another lingering kiss.

“Heh,” Jack replied at long last, breathless.  “Probably better than what I did…” He let out a rasping, self deprecating wheeze of a laugh.  “Haven’t been with anyone in months…”

He’d just about had Blisk tipped all the way over onto his back, but upon hearing his confession, the merc sat up sharply.

“ _Months_?!” The notably lengthy list of things he had planned to hopefully blow Jack’s mind with crumbled away, Blisk rapidly adjusting his plans for their evening. Jack had dipped his head low, embarrassed, and Blisk pulled him up onto the bed, rolling onto his side to curl around him. “Oh baby…” he sighed, kissing Jack slowly once more.

“I...no one else seemed worth the trouble anymore...and I was honestly scared I’d…” Jack cut off suddenly, and the heat rushing into his cheeks made the blue bioluminescence clinging to his skin glow a little brighter. Blisk propped himself up on one elbow to gaze down at the other man, tipping his head in silent entreaty to finish the sentence. “...scream the wrong name or something,” Jack muttered at last, his cheeks, ears and shoulders glowing almost bright white for a moment. Blisk rumbled out a low, happy sound as he soothed away the embarrassment with kisses to those hottest points.

“We kin fix that,” he purred, then sat up fully. “Hang on,” he added, leaning in to kiss Jack quickly.  With that, the other Pilot watching him curiously, he rolled off the bed and hurried into the washroom.

He didn’t have a habit of bringing one-night stands home, _ever_ , and so he’d never bothered keeping lube by the bedside but he _did_ have a bottle for his own purposes _somewhere_ …

“Aha!” He trotted back into the bedroom with the bottle held high in triumph.  “Was startin’ ta worry Ah wouldn’t find th’ fucker… Woulda ruined our night real fast, eh?”

“I can take it,” Jack said quickly, though he did take the bottle from Blisk with a look of relief.

“Jack…” Blisk crawled back onto the bed to kneel at Jack’s side, his hands tracing over his face, shoulders and sides gently. “This ain’t about what ya kin _take_ , yeah?  If it ain’t good, we’re doin’ it wrong.” He paused offering a smirk before things got too heavy. “An’ Ah intend ta do ya _right_.”

Jack chuckled, kissing Blisk hot and hard until they were both panting again.

“Yeah okay, twist my arm,” he said warmly, then planted both palms on Blisk’s chest and pushed him firmly until he toppled backwards onto his back.  Blisk barked out a breathless laugh of surprise, snatching Jack by the arm and yanking him down on top of him.

“Sure, but let’s save th’ rough stuff for another night,” he countered, grinning. To his delight, Jack blushed brightly again but was too flustered to reply.

They took their time.  Theirs was a new enough relationship that even chaste touches and kisses were exciting, and so the exploration was slow, and almost reverent. Even when Jack had broken off to sit back and wiggle free of his half-dry shorts- letting out a hilarious yelp of surprise as he discovered the fun way that the bioluminescence had clung to _everything-_ Blisk quickly following his lead, they initially simply returned to kissing and petting.  

Eventually, however, there was no denying one another’s arousal any longer.  Jack had gotten back atop Blisk and was grinding against him once more. Blisk happily let him, rolling his hips into the little thrusts and kneading at the smaller man’s backside hungrily, but when Jack began to try and position himself over Blisk’s shaft, he again put a  momentary halt to their recreating.

“Hey now...none ‘a that…” He nudged Jack back until he was seated on his thighs and grumbling playfully, and fished the bottle of lube from within the tousled covers.  Jack’s hand darted out and he snatched it from Blisk’s fingertips with a grin.

“You and your caring,” Jack murmured, his voice rich with adoration.  Locking eyes with Blisk through the darkness, he popped the cap, and proceeded to dump far more than necessary of the slick gel straight over Blisk, only breaking eye contact when he gripped him in one hand, his eyes fluttering shut as he did so.  Blisk watched in breathless awe, bucking and groaning against the sensations. His eyes rolled and fluttered, but he was glad he’d kept them open when Jack next rocked up onto his knees to prep himself as well. It was a mesmerizing mix of erotic and beautiful to see Jack, still glowing, reach around to plunge first one slick finger, and then two into himself with a groan.

“Goddamn yer gorgeous,” Blisk breathed appreciatively.  “Holy shit, Jack…” Jack’s eyes slitted back open, and Blisk could see he was watching him intently, soaking in his reaction hungrily.  At first his actions had been all business, but was now actively putting on a show for Blisk.

“Make that face again,” he purred, glancing down when Blisk’s cock jerked hard enough to slap his thigh in response.  He grinned excitedly and finally pulled his hand away to rock forward over the merc.

Blisk was far from virginal, the list of lovers short and the conquests miles long, but as Jack positioned over him, rocking back until their bodies met at his entrance, Blisk’s heart thundered as if he were.  He gripped the sheets, forcing himself still as Jack slowly pressed down, allowing the other man full control of the situation. He’d too often taken without care or consideration of his partner, and he was genuinely scared he would fall onto old, ugly habits he absolutely did not want to subject Jack to.  Jack was not some fast fuck for giggles, or to assert dominance. Or to cause injury. Jack was special. He wanted Jack to stick around. _Needed_ him to.

His groan shattered into something more like a sob as Jack finally settled his full weight on Blisk’s lap, having taken him in his entirety, and only now did he bring his hands up to lay over Jack’s hips.  Jack was breathing hard, panting and squirming as he adjusted fully, and at first all Blisk could do was smile, enthralled, up at him.

“Goddamn,” he breathed again.  He pawed at Jack’s hips and sides, petting and rubbing, then kneading at his thighs.  “You feel so good...you’re fuckin’ perfect...goddamn…” Jack smiled back, his expression tender, and he nodded.

“You too… I feel better now… this… I needed this,” he whispered.  He rolled his hips, slow and cautious, and they both groaned in harmony.  “Oh god,” he added immediately after. “I’m n-not…” Blisk gasped as Jack tightened around him briefly, and gave a careful push upwards.

“Y-yeah…” This wasn’t going to take very long. “It’s alright, yeah? We got all th’ time in th’ world for more whenever ya want it.”

Jack sucked in a breath, as if this hadn’t occurred to him, and his loving smile turned sunshine bright.  He started moving in earnest, then, rolling his hips into steadily strengthening bounces. With the increase in pace came the noises.  High and needy and almost constant, but hushed, Blisk somewhat shyly joining in. Their pace never grew frantic, the lovemaking slow and nearly rapturous from being oh so long overdue. Jack leaned in, kissing Blisk long and deep, and then dropped his forehead to the heaving chest beneath him, where he remained until Blisk shifted just right and Jack let out a low cry of warning.

Blisk replied in kind, winding his arms around Jack’s shoulders and clutching hard as he began to deepen his thrusts, rumbling out affirmations of pleasure and devotion into Jack’s ear.  All at once Jack stiffened, arching back against Blisk’s arms and grinding down as release finally caught him. His body tightened down and a wash of heat splattered between their stomachs, but it was the ardent shout of joy that escaped him that did the mercenary in.

Blisk’s climax took him in waves, rolling through him seemingly from the toes up, and he couldn’t help the triumphant roar he let out as he bowed up dramatically, trying to go as deep as possible until Jack was gasping and writhing in ecstasy. There they hung, the letdown slow as they both eased into sated slackness.  The omnipresent electricity between them remained, popping and fizzing in little sparks of tingles as their breathing started to slow and calmness returned.

It was Jack, draped limply over Blisk, that moved first, pulling away with a gasp and a giggle and rolling over to tuck against Blisk’s side.  At long last, the bioluminescence was starting to fade to a dim gray, but they could just barely make eachother out in the dark still, ghostly and otherworldly. Confessions, declarations of undying devotion and love, pressed out demandingly against Blisk’s lips, but for now, he held them in.  Not yet.

He kept quiet, basking in the afterglow and how he could feel Jack’s pulse thumping out of his chest into where it was pressed against his arm, and usually he’d be worrying about cleaning up the mess they’d just made but somehow the cold, sticky streak across his abdomen felt like a badge of accomplishment and so he left it alone.

He’d been pretty certain Jack was dozing off, they had remained still and silent so long, that he actually felt a little jolt of shock when the other man spoke up suddenly, his words clear and confident.

“Yeah… I made the right decision.”

 

The following morning, Blisk was still in the shower when Jack ambled back out into the living room, scrubbed clean and, finally, now longer glowing -literally, at least- to find Red and BT waiting to greet him.

“I think I know what you were going to say, all those years ago,” Jack said, smiling somewhat crookedly at the Legion. Red cocked his head as he listened.

“You mean about the big bad boogie man Blisk?” He asked, a smile in his voice.

“It’s all an act,” Jack said firmly. Red’s optics brightened tellingly.

“It’s all an act,” Red agreed.

**Author's Note:**

> That's it, that's the end of it. I wanted to keep this all bittersweet and melancholy but noooooo I have to have my happy (smutty) ending. 
> 
>  
> 
> I have this big, in-depth history/character development thought out for Blisk that goes all the way back to his teens, and SOMEDAY I'll manage to get organized into a piece of writing all on its own. Hopefully. This asshole's fun AF to write for though, so I'm sure there'll be more, regardless.


End file.
